Canon 50mm 1.4 or 50mm 1.2

Hi all. Got a problem. Use l series lens on my IDSMK3. Got quite a few zoomz and primes but im now moving in to both portraits which i used to have no interest in and indoor stuff where no flash or tripod are allowed e.g churches and galleries. The cost of the 1.2 is a lot and whilst well built (had a look at one at a camera exhibition) i cant really justify the cost for that extra bit of light. My mate has a Nikon 1.4 50mm and loves it. He also has a 1.8 85mm which i may purchase later but use the 70-200 f2.8 for now. Just wondered what you think of both these lens choices. Im used to l's and have the l disease where i just cant stop buying them. So the 1.4 will be my first none L.





Mick


p.s after reading reviews on here i sold my wife and a couple of kidneys and bought a 500 f4. It was worth every penny. Only downside it isnt as fun in bed as the wife. LOL

I must admit I have noexperience with the 50mm f/1.2 L; however, I own the 50mmn f/1.4 and would purchase it again in a heartbeat. I honestly don't use it often, but when needed, it performs very well. There are issues with the AF going out (normally after the lens is dropped). However, if handled relatively carefully, it'll produce some really nice images (especially for the price).


I recently used the 50mm f/1.4 for this shot.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/...80d31bb2f0.jpg

I have the 1.4 and really like it. Not sure how much I would appreciate the extra speed of a 1.2. It would be a safer bet to start with the 1.4 and go to the 1.2 if you had to than to go the other way. Looking at Bryan's ISO12233 crops, the 1.4 looks comparable or better than the 1.2 across the entire aperture range. See here.

I never used the 50 1.2 but I use to own the 50 1.4. I sold it recently due to low use and the need to offset some of the cost of my 35 1.4L. When I did use it I thought it was good enough that I never even considered the 1.2 and I too am an L addict. So even if the day comes I decide I need a 50mm I will still go with the 1.4.


If we were talking 85mm, I gotta go with the 1.2 though. It is #1 on my dream list.

I've never used the 50 f/1.2, but from what I understand, it is corrected differently than most lenses (including the 50mm f/1.4). It is figured in such a way that sharpness is compromised in exchange for a particularly smooth bokeh. Look at Bryan's review for sample photos: IMO it really looks nice. However, as others have said, sharpness suffers as a result.


Before buying the 50 f/1.2, you should know what you're giving up with this type of correction and what you're getting in return.

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Originally Posted by Micktheexbiker

i cant really justify the cost for that extra bit of light.
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Hard to justify 300% more $$s for only 1/3 stop more light.


Mark

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Originally Posted by clemmb

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Originally Posted by Micktheexbiker

i cant really justify the cost for that extra bit of light.
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Hard to justify 300% more $s for only 1/3 stop more light.


Mark
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My thoughts exactly. The f/1.4 seems to produce some great results for the price. The f/1.2 is a great looking piece of kit but the cost is amazing.


I'd like to see a 35mm f/1.4 with a similar build quality and IQ to the 50mm f/1.4. I find 50mm is slightly long on a crop body (I've come to terms with the fact that I can't justify moving to FF in the near future- 7D it is).

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Originally Posted by btaylor

I'd like to see a 35mm f/1.4 with a similar build quality and IQ to the 50mm f/1.4. I find 50mm is slightly long on a crop body (I've come to terms with the fact that I can't justify moving to FF in the near future- 7D it is).
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Without the "L" price tag I mean. They should make a new currency for L lenses. L$1 would equal 4 billion Australian dollars.

I have the 50 1.4 and the photos I have taken with it are great. I don't think it's worth the jump in price IMO.





MattG

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Originally Posted by Micktheexbiker

My mate has a Nikon 1.4 50mm and loves it. He also has a 1.8 85mm which i may purchase later but use the 70-200 f2.8 for now. Just wondered what you think of both these lens choices

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Both the EF 50 f1.4 and EF 85 f1.8 are "classic" full frame lenses. Many award winning photos have been taken with both of these.


I love the L series lenses as much as the next fanboy, but if Sigma had their 50 f1.4 when I bought my EF 50 1.4 I'd probably dropped the tad extra for the Sigma. I've never owned a Sigma lens but this one looks like one worth take'n a chance on. Check out dpreview's side by side comparison here


Micktheexbiker It's all what you're planning on doing with it. I can say that the EF 50 f1.4 on my 5D rocks!


Good luck mate.

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Originally Posted by Chuck Lee

I love the L series lenses as much as the next fanboy, but if Sigma had their 50 f1.4 when I bought my EF 50 1.4 I'd probably dropped the tad extra for the Sigma. I've never owned a Sigma lens but this one looks like one worth take'n a chance on. Check out dpreview's side by side comparison here

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That review looks very promising for the Sigma in terms of chromatic abberation and sharpness (better than the Canon f/1.4 in both respects) but looks like it may have some issues with inconsistent AF. Check out Bryan's reviewhttp://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-50mm-f-1.4-EX-DG-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx.


Just another thing to confuse the situation a bit more. [:D]


Ben.

I live in Victoria, Tx where there are no camera stores. I went to San Antonio this weekend and stopped in The Camera Exchange. This was the first time in a very long time I was able to get my hands on some equipment before I buy. The 50mm 1.4 is one I have been wanting to buy but was hesitant due to some of the comments I have read. I got to play with this lens in the shop and thought it worth the price. My wife said, well if you can use it lets buy it. A wonderful woman.


Today I used it at a friends 75th birthday reception. I am very impressed with the results. The focus seems fast enough for me and all shots were keepers. All shots hand held with 580EX on camera with omni-bounce. Here is 100% crop.


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.24.67/IMG_5F00_0105a.jpg[/img]


Camera Maker: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 5D
Image Date: 2010-08-22 13:17:36 -0500
Focal Length: 50.0mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
ISO equiv: 400
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: Yes (Manual)
Color Space: sRGB

Nice detail. I've not been disappointed with my 50mm f/1.4. My keeper rate does vary, but I'm starting to really understand and work with its nuances.





Technical question: how do you post 100% crop? Do you have to do a screen shot once it's at 100%? [:S]

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Originally Posted by deltasun

Technical question: how do you post 100% crop?

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Normally it's with the "crop" tool.

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Originally Posted by Daniel Browning

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Originally Posted by deltasun

Technical question: how do you post 100% crop?

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Normally it's with the "crop" tool.

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Funny, but posting isn't done by a "crop"tool [:P] I haven't seen the 100% crop tool in Lightroom yet. Is there a specific one on DPP?


To make one I personally use Photoshop and have a rectangle selected with a fixed width of 800p. Since the forum supports 800p wide, it will be a 100% view on your crop on this particular forum.


To post one you can use the Insert Media tab and upload your photo, but I guess that wasn't really the question [:P] Or is it?

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

Funny, but posting isn't done by a "crop"tool [img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]

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Quite right. [:D]



<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="content-type" />

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Originally Posted by Sheiky

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I haven't seen the 100% crop tool in Lightroom yet. Is there a specific one on DPP?

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Lightroom doesn't have one, DPP probably doesn't either. I was thinking of image editors like Photoshop, Gimp, etc. It's probably not common for raw converters to have a crop tool that works at 100%.

1.2 better until 2.8 is the general census isn't it? Anything past would be better served with the 1.4

Isn't "100% crop" an oxymoron?


ah n'mind - pass me another Jumbo Shrimp please... [:P]

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Originally Posted by Daniel Browning

DPP probably doesn't either. I was thinking of image editors like Photoshop, Gimp, etc. It's probably not common for raw converters to have a crop tool that works at 100%.

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I open the DPP crop tool, make a rough box with a width near 800, and then type 800 into the width box before hitting OK. That will give me a 100% view of the 800 pixel of my choice.

I had a love/hate relationship with the 50 f/1.4 and recently sold it. Stopped down to at least f/3.5 the keeper rate was excellent, and the IQ was often stunning. But that's not why I bought the lens. I wanted a low light powerhouse, yet it is unusable at f/1.4, and at f/1.8 through f/2.5, I feel like I either needed a very steady hand (which I don't always have) or a mono/tripod. Some of my exposures in that range were really quite good, but the keeper rate was frustratingly low.


I replaced it with the 85 f/1.8. If you can handle the additional length, it is, IMHO, a superior lens that produces much more consistent results. At f/1.8 my keeper rate is quite good. And stopped down it is scary sharp, just like the 50. It also feels sturdier.

Yep, the whole 100% crop eluded me a bit. I thought once I open up
my image as a jpg, I can click on the 100% zoom button and somehow post
that.


Now I see what 100% crop is. You crop your photo enough so
that when you open it with your favorite tool, your zoom 100% button is
essentially grayed out because the bit that you cropped is at 100%. I
know, that sounded like a round about argument, but here's what 800
pixels of my baby daughter's eye looks like. [:D]


1/125s, f/4, iso 2500 on a 7D and 50mm f/1.4


http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...e_daughter.jpg